Steven Robinson, Editor-in-Chief of the Maine Wire, leads New England’s fastest-growing digital media outlet focused on exposing political corruption and organized crime across local, state, and regional levels.
A native of Dexter, Maine, and Bowdoin College graduate in political philosophy, he previously worked at Regnery Publishing, produced the Howie Carr Show, and handled Barstool Sports’ Kirk Minihane Show and true-crime podcast The Case, which spurred murder charges per season.
During COVID-19, he quit his job to travel 35,000 miles across North America in a camper van before returning to Maine in November 2022 to revitalize the Maine Wire as an aggressive, independent platform for under-reported stories, bold investigations, and commentary.
Robinson’s groundbreaking “Triad Weed” series, launched in August 2023 after a leaked DHS memo revealed over 270 illicit cannabis operations by Asian Transnational Criminal Organizations in Maine, uncovered a vast Chinese mafia network spanning Maine to southeast China.
His reporting exposed racketeering involving black-market cannabis, human and sex trafficking, money laundering, bank fraud, illegal border crossings, neurotoxins poisoning homes, murder, and national security threats - including CCP-linked properties near U.S. Army facilities.
He provided exclusive details on the exploitation of U.S. Treasury–subsidized loans that allowed foreign nationals to purchase over 70 properties…
Cited in Congressional reports and featured on CBS, Fox News, the Daily Mail, OANN, and more, Robinson’s work has led to over 60 articles, property raids, arrests, Sen. Susan Collins’ interrogations of intel agencies, and the documentary Triad Weed: How Chinese Mafia Infiltrated Maine.
Local police praise it as a field manual, though Maine media avoids the story.
Chapters
00:00:00 Introduction and Welcome
00:00:09 What is 7-OH? A New Toxic Substance
00:00:39 Government Delays and Law Enforcement Gaps
00:01:00 The Rise and Evolution of Sketchy Substances
00:02:35 Regulating 7-OH and Comparison to Bath Salts
00:04:42 Synthetic Origins and Gas Station Access
00:06:18 The $9 Billion Industry and Political Concerns
00:07:32 Meet Steve Robinson
00:08:41 Investigating Chinese Organized Crime in Maine
00:10:32 Property Raids and Indictments
00:12:20 Chinese Benevolent Associations and Broader Network
00:16:06 Marijuana Grow Ops and Human Trafficking Links
00:18:32 Initial Investigations and Key Discoveries
00:25:29 The Scale and Power Usage of Grow Operations
00:42:03 Hemp Loopholes and Cannabis Compound Confusion
00:47:18 Regulatory Gaps and Foreign Involvement
00:51:56 Investigation Process and Hidden Locations
00:54:20 Security Concerns and Suspicious Activity
01:00:26 Law Enforcement Limitations and Legal Loopholes
01:09:28 Real Estate Tactics and Money Laundering
01:22:21 Lack of Law Enforcement Support in Maine
01:44:22 Narcan Use and Overdose Cases
01:47:22 Testing, Market Trends, and Legal Gray Zones
01:55:15 Public Health Risks and Harm Reduction
02:08:45 The Future of Synthetic Drugs
02:35:03 Conclusion and Final Thoughts
